A St James man accused of breaking into his mother's house and attacking her during a dispute over a welding tool was ordered to attend mediation sessions with her when they appeared before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's on Court on Friday.

Javoy McCook, 18, from Bogue Hill, pleaded guilty to housebreaking, larceny and assault at common law against Lorna McCook. He was offered $100,000 bail with three sureties. The case is set for mention on July 15, when the court is expected to receive a report on the mediation process.

It is alleged that on June 3, about 6 a.m., the complainant was cleaning her yard when the defendant entered. The mother went on the veranda of her house and locked the grille. In response, the defendant went to a window and removed three of the window blades, thereby gaining entry to the house.

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The court heard that the defendant grabbed his mother's hand and twisted it, before removing a welding tool from the house.

"Why did you do that, Sir?" Resident Magistrate Carolyn Tie asked the defendant when he appeared in court yesterday.

"My father had a welding tool for me. I went there (to the complainant's house) for it, and because of some argument between me and my mother, we do not speak. She said she was not letting me in the house," said McCook.

"If she said she was not letting you in the house, why not speak to your father?" asked RM Tie.

"I could not get to speak to him because he's in Canada," said McCook.

The complainant then asked that she be allowed to go to mediation with her son to settle their dispute.

"I do not want to press any charge against him (the defendant). I want to go to mediation," the complainant told RM Tie.

"Would you be willing to go to the mediation with your mother?" RM Tie asked the defendant.